Back To Where It All Began
by Meecherz
Summary: Rain and Ryuu fan-fiction. Based on my friend's Pokemon plot.
1. Prologue: Observing

_it's nine in the afternoon..._

The lyrics echoed in the background of the small home, the upbeat tempo to the song something one couldn't help but hum along to. It was not intentional, this wordless way of singing along - but it was typical, something the pale man did too often, especially during times like this. His tapping foot betrayed the emotion on his thin face, a light purple tainting the pale skin under his eyes. In something that seemed too immature for Ryuu, too much like his younger self, his sapphire eyes were narrowed in a hawk-like glare, watching a figure outside with such intensity it was amazing that she hadn't gotten a restraining order on him. He really did have to be less over-protective of her...

How had he ever managed to fall for her? The thought that spontaneously entered his consciousness made his intense eyes sparkle slightly - only slightly - with a bit of amusement. To think, he had once hated her... Funny how much some people could change when their life wasn't constantly in danger. From a psychotic killer - for Ryuu, that was putting it nicely - to a sweet girlfriend, Rain had changed so much... But the thoughts of the Chaos had caused him to tense again. He didn't like it... Her there, outside alone tanning. Years ago, Ryuu had liked the outdoors, but now going out seemed forced - he was too tense out of the safety of his own home. And with Rain out there... He shuddered, quickly standing - the wooden chair he had been sitting on toppling over with a thud in his haste - and rushing out the door.

"Hmmmm?" she asked as he stepped out, eyes hard with his emerald hair blowing slightly to the right of his face in his rush to so her. He stood tall when she greeted him with a smile (she stood to meet his gaze easier), nearly a half-foot taller than her 5'6" height. Muscles tensed, brain ready to command his body - eyes glancing around quickly before falling on her face, framed with fire-red hair on the right side and snow white hair on the other. One meaningful look in her crimson eyes seemed to give her the message - _be careful._


	2. Chapter 1: Separated

Her worry was clear upon her flawless facade, and a pang of guilt jolted through Ryuu. He should have never agreed to moving in with her - he was a hazard to her health, what with the enemies he made in his profession. Stopping evil doers had its pros and cons - this was one of the cons. Ryuu honestly could have cared less about his own health, but hers... His gaze hardened, knees buckling at the thought of her body laying helplessly on the ground, mangled and ruthlessly beaten... He shook his head, refusing to think such things.

**"People are coming for us... for me..."** he murmured to her, studying her confused expression with a sorrowful gaze. Hopelessness was evident in his eyes, hidden in his words - quiet and spoken with care, trying not to worry her. Everything would be fine... Why could his old confidence not return at a time like this? The situation was so serious and he needed to lighten it up so as not to scare the beauty before him (who, for the record, wore a red bikini to tan). Frowning, the petite woman - only twenty-five or so while he was a mere twenty-six - grabbed a black jacket from the chair she had once been sitting on. Her long tail - a mixture of red and white that matched with her hair slightly, making it quite obvious that she wasn't just human but something more - twitched, Ryuu noticed, and she replied, **"Let's... let's go... inside."** She shoved him gently into the cool home (which seemed quite hot with the green-haired man's evident anger and frustration). The storm door shut with a metallic clang, but the other door remained open - and Ryuu watched, one Pokeball in hand, ready to protect her with all he had.

**"You should leave,"** he murmured in a steady tone although his gaze flickered about in search of anything suspicious. After he spotted nothing notable, he looked into her eyes - although his visage revealed no emotion, appearing hard and stony and cold, his eyes were different. The sapphire irises seemed to sparkle slightly, passionate and livid with fury - fury that they were coming, fury that he had to waste their day with these tense words. His lips twitched slightly, and it was now evident on his facade that he was sorry - sorry he was not the kind of person she needed to live with to live a simple life. **"If anyone asks where I am, say I left you... Say that I told you I hate you." **His words were hushed - no one could hear of his plan except her. **"Don't look for me... I may have to go in hiding for awhile." **He searched her eyes for any emotion other than fear... something that would assure him that she didn't hate him. There was something in her eyes, something that seemed to say _'I'll miss you' _- he sighed sadly, his arms wrapping around her thin body to hold her tightly, his lips kissing her forehead. **"I won't let them hurt you, Rain... I'll die before that happens."** She gasped before burying her face into his light gray vest. The slight shaking of her body notified Ryuu that she was crying. His kissed the top of her head now, grip loosening. Their time was running out. **"Go, Rain. Stay safe..."** Rain nodded feebly, turning and stepping out of the house. Once outside, she ran in the direction of the little town on the island, glancin gback at Ryuu with tears in her eyes.


	3. Chapter 2: Hide and Seek

He saw it before he heard it.

They leapt out at her mercilessly, hunters aiming to kill - or, not kill, but threaten... keep hostage... Their large, wide hands grasped for her thin body, aiming to contain her. And then she shrieked.

He suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do - thoughts of death plagued his mind, the thought of the two men torn to pieces and bleeding profusely on the ground the most prominent. With a shudder and a curse under his breathe, he leapt out the door, running towards her with full speed.

Oomph.

The wind was knocked out of him and he was out of breathe, surprised by the impact. Vision blurred, body searing with pain, confused… And an instant later, before the blockade (was it really a person who had stopped him?) could even react, Ryuu's thoughts were sharp and clear. He had been knocked over by the tan mass that towered over him (at the moment; the other guy was big, but he wasn't tall) and the big guy was about to act if Ryuu didn't soon.

He rolled to the left, quickly finding himself out of the man's reach before the large man could even move. Ryuu leapt to his feet gracefully, his muscled figure lean enough that each movement of his perfectly uniform, so graceful that _most_ would have strained to move like he did - but for Ryuu, it was easy and natural. His gaze hard and fierce - something that never seemed to change - he charged at the smirking man. Clearly, he Aqua grunt thought Ryuu stupid for charging at him like that, probably predicting a repeat of what happened only moments ago. But Ryuu Akiyama was no fool. He was sly and clever, stashing his tricks up his sleeve better than anyone else - he had a good poker face, that was for sure. No trace of condescending mockery existed on his facade, only fury - a good actor. The Pokemon world had most definitely missed out on a good celebrity when Ryuu decided it would be more enjoyable to thwart evil's plans and live a quiet life.

Quicker than the other man's pathetic eyes could spot, Ryuu whipped out a dagger that had been stashed inside his vest. The move to defeat - not kill, simply defeat - the burly man was quick and efficient, effortless. The gleaming blade was quickly thrust into the thick biceps of the man before being pulling out and thrust into his leg. Then it was pulled out once more, and Ryuu leapt away with the speed of a cat, gaze locked on the howling Aqua grunt. The grunt was howling in pain now, laying on the ground with his eyes shut in pain. Slowly, Ryuu approached him once more - and when his feet stopped near the man's head, a small smirk appeared on the pale man's visage. _'You kept me from Rain... I'll spare you so one day you can tell all your little friends what happens when you get in the way of what I want.' _A swift kick to the head to make the man unconscious, and Ryuu was off once more, a Mightyena suddenly out to lead him to the most important thing in his life...

* * *

**"Rain?"** he asked in a quiet murmur, smooth voice silky... It was alluring, a test for her. If she came out of hiding (she was here, his Mightyena could smell her otherwise they wouldn't have stopped at this little meadow) he would have to find a way to hurt her. Pain surged through him at the thought - at the thought of pushing her away. All around him, there was a rustling sound - the Aqua members had tensed, ready to spring on the girl they had probably lost track of. Too bad theydidn't know that Rain wasn't just a girl...

His Mightyena's gaze flickered to a small bush in the center of the clearing; Ryuu's gaze followed, and he saw some sharp black claws of the hidden Pokemon. A moment later, the burly paw shrunk and he could spot a pale hand. _'Rain, no... Please, leave me here to fight...' _And then he heard her words, soft and unsure, **"Ryuu?"** He saw her face slowly peek around to see him, wide and afraid. The rustling was louder now before growing silent. And in the silence, you could hear his quiet words with ease: **"Daikirai - search and destroy."** They were spoken in a cold, ruthless tone, but Ryuu was unphased - in the distance, he could hear the sound of a chopper approaching. Upon his words, Rain leapt out of her hideout, prepared to battle...


	4. Chapter 3: The Battle

They were surrounded.

Everywhere they looked (except down and up) there was an enemy. There were no Pokemon... Just humans that seemed more frightening than any Pokemon ever could be. The rough, unshaven faces lit with malice... and that greedy, hungry look in their eye as they stared at Rain in a way that made Ryuu jealous... It was all too human. A Pokemon couldn't have those kinds of emotions so clear on its face... For Ryuu, what he didn't know was nothing to worry about - what he did know made him worked up, anxiousness taking over. He could read their thoughts and desires on their faces - his body tensed at this, along with the sudden silence. It wasn't actual silence, but a loud hum was gone.

The helicoptor had landed.

Ryuu spotted the composed figure of Archie from the corner of his eyes, and immediately tensed. His left hand reached back, searching for her own to grasp - he had to keep her safe. His fingers only hit hair, and after a minute of futile searching, his head whipped around. He saw her struggling against mass amounts of grunts, pulling at her and cackling like a pack of hyenas. **"Stop!" **he cried out, normally composed voice now hoarse - behind him, Archie chuckled, liking the emerald-haired man's pain. And the pain wasn't anywhere close to stopping.

Someone behind him took his distraction as the perfect opportunity. Grip tight but not enough to hurt him really, on grunted grapsed his left arm. Another grabbed his right, and Ryuu was practically paralyzed. He yanked and he pulled, but nothing changed - he was a sitting duck here, even if his Mightyena was quickly tearing through the ranks of the organization and Rain had managed to partially free himself. He felt so... weak. The feeling was so foreign to him, and it drove Ryuu insane. He was supposed to be the hero - the bloody hero that you weren't sure it was okay to trust or not, but the hero nonetheless. And now, what was he? The stupid king who had to hire some powerful knight was not a fitting role for Ryuu. And the thought of being that stupid king - helpless and depending on others - angered Ryuu just about as much as seeing Rain pushed around. It was an insult to his ego.

**"Let go," **he hissed in a composed tone, acidic and threatening. His captors glanced eachother - one of the idiot's grip loosened slightly and Ryuu took that as his chance. His right hand slipped through the sausage-like fingers and his legs pushed off the ground in an attempt to leap out of the idiot's grasp. His muscles pulled and tightened, being stretched out and a sickening _pop _sounded in agony from his shoulders - the idiot hadn't let go. There was a snarl from behind him as Ryuu gasped in pain before he heard a satisfying _crunch _and an ear-shattering scream. The fool quickly released him, clutching his broken arm while Ryuu and Daikirai raced towards the snarling Rain. With a howl from his Mightyena, the crowd of blue abruptly split, allowing the trio to regroup, Ryuu and Rain both gasping for breath.

**"Is your... shoulder... okay?"** Rain asked, glancing over her shoulder to see Ryuu tightly clutching the limp appendage. Ryuu glanced back at her, hard eyes meeting her own for a moment**, "It doesn't matter. You're okay, right?"** Rain nodded and Ryuu gave a sigh of relief before adding in a small murmur,** "I'm sorry this had to happen. If it doesn't seem like we'll make it out, take Kai and run - then release her and hide. Do whatever you can to stay alive**.." The thought of her dead made him shudder. And then, without another word, he rushed forward, dagger in hand with his Mightyena darting ahead of him and a large Zangoose staying behind.

_'One, two, three... nice hit, six!'_

He counted the number that fell in his head, and the numbers were promising - maybe they'd make it through this afterall, although Ryuu knew that they would never be totally safe. From the corner of his eye, he spotted his Mightyena tearing through more Team Aqua members and to his left he saw slashing mercilessly at the men - and then, with a confident smirk, he stole a glance at Archie, ready for the look of horror.

Wait, what was that he was holding?

Archie's gaze met Ryuu's for an instant, and by Archie's booming laugh told Ryuu that he must have looked mortified. A gun... Would they kill her? A part of him needed to part at that moment, and as Ryuu stopped and looked at Archie a part of him was relieved. A dart... just a dart... And yet, what if it was poison? Again, nausea swept over him, his pale face becoming even paler. And, as the noise of the trigger being pulled sounded (to Ryuu, it sounded louder than a bomb going of), Ryuu leapt forward, eyes beginning to close just as Rain turned.

Ryuu blinked as he hit the ground with a _thud_, Rain and Daikirai rushing to his side. Rain cried, eyes wide... He knew the emotion, and again he was scared. **"Ryuu? Ryuu, why'd you do that?" **Rain asked in horror. Ryuu winced, the pain in his right side suddenly more prominent than it had been seconds ago. **"They say love makes you do crazy things." **He paused to smile blissfully, eyes closing slightly. **"Ryuu... But, you could be _dying_!" **Rain exclaimed. Ryuu shrugged. **"So, you're alive." **A pause. **"Rain, will you marry me?"** And before he could get an answer, he slipped out of consciousness.


	5. Chapter 4: Nightmares

She was a vision -- more beautiful than Ryuu had ever imagined her to be, even though she wasn't half-naked. Her face was delicate, crimson eyes wide and uncertain -- innocence. Was she scared, he wondered; if she was, he wondered why. There was no reason to be as tentative as she was as she slowly walked towards him, towards the "v" of people that eagerly watched her. On one side, there was one girl: a fair-skinned girl with long, indigo hair that was neatly pulled back. Then was an old, balding man dressed in a black and white robe, holding a thick black book: a Bible, of some sort. Then there was Ryuu, dressed in a stunning black tuxedo that made him look like some secret spy. And beside Ryuu was a thin man with bright gold eyes and an array of messy biolet hair on his head. It was an odd group, but a group nonetheless -- family..._ sort of._

But that didn't matter to Ryuu. His dark eyes were focused on her as she slowly gliding towards him, walking like some dancer or model. He couldn't blame her, he supposed -- in her dress, she honestly look like a model. It complimented her, especially when she didn't have the Zangoose tail and ears -- the traditional white and the accenting red complimenting her odd hair. A thin, maroon strap wrapped around her torso just under hear chest, dividing the smooth top of the dress from the wavy, ruffled dress. It wasn't over-done; it was simplistic, and that was perhaps what Ryuu liked most about it. The strapless dress pretty enough complimented her figured but also was simple enough that it didn't take one's eyes off of the true beauty: Rain.

Suddenly, when she was halfway to him -- was she really only that far? Ryuu imagined that she should have been farther by now, but maybe he was just being to eager for the moment when she would finally be _his_ -- she stopped and her eyes became wide; and then suddenly angry and spiteful, and Rain wheeled around and ran. She bolted away from him like a bat out hell; Ryuu followed without a second thought, chasing after her in desperation. He wasn't gaining any ground on her, he noted in horror, and sped up -- wondering, in the back of his mind, how a woman in heels could run so damn fast. **"Stop, Ryuu! I hate you."**

The words she suddenly screamed made his legs give out, making him fall to the ground. His head hurt... His heart hurt... He gasped at the pain, eyes wide, hands desperately clutching the wedding ring for her. His sapphire eyes darted around wildly, searching... searching... Had she left him? Had she finally realized how bad he was for her? Why did this hurt so badly? Losing people wasn't anything knew... He heard a scream echo through the darkness -- wait, it was dark? why was the surrounding area just _black_?!-- and a flash of carmine caught his gaze, and a cackle caught his attention. Rain had been there... Was she okay? He suddenly saw Archie near where the maroon... stuff -- what was that, anyway? -- had been, and then a slightly-transparent Rain appeared. **"You killed me, Ryuu... You killed me..."** The breathe caught in the back out his throat, and he felt the need to vomit -- his eyes shut in pain, not caring that he could hear Archie's approaching footsteps...

* * *

**"Rain... Rain..."** he groaned, stirring. Why wasn't she answering? She may have been a ghost, but she was still Rain regardless. Maybe not _his_ Rain, but she was Rain nonetheless. And maybe it would hurt him when she replied and her tone confirmed that she didn't give a damn about him. But, honestly? He would have rather have heard her voice telling him how much she hated him than not hear it at all. His brows furrowed before he cried out, **"Rain?!" **From somewhere, he heard a chuckle. His eyes whipped open and he glanced around. He was on the ground, that was no surprise... but it had felt differently before and nothing was black here. All he saw was dull gray of varying shades... And then in front of him, brighter light came in strips. He snarled, bolting upright in an instant -- he knew where he was (kind of), and the unfamiliarity made him shudder inwardly. Outwardly, he was composed -- he appeared relieved, although furious. 

_'It was all a dream... Rain didn't say yes...' _He was surprised how much that hurt when he thought it. _'And she's _not _dead.' _He would have grinned, if only he didn't know perfectly well that he was locked up in a jail cell. Ha... He might have laughed if he didn't feel that he didn't have any Pokeballs on his belt (and therefore no Pokemon). Saying Ryuu was furious with himself would have been an understatement -- a _big_ understatement.

**"Having fun?"** someone sneered. The voice was similiar to the chuckle. It was cold -- but amused. The need to kill him -- and in as violent a manner as physically possible -- washed over Ryuu like a tidal wave. But his face was the same -- he just glared at the tall, thin guard that stared at him in amusement. The tanned, black-haired Aqua member grinned broadly as he saw Ryuu quickly glanced about. **"Where is she?"** His tone was acidic; _deadly_. The Aqua member absent-mindedly grabbed a ring of keys and tossed it up and down, clearly trying to piss his "companion" off. **"The boss told me not to tell you this, but... Since I'd like to see you squirm... She's down in the colosseum."**

His whole body went numb at those words -- words that would have meant nothing to someone who wasn't _educated_. If he could only be young, innocent and naive... How simple life would be. Why did he have to know what the colosseum did? He saved Pokemon from there before, but why... why would they want Rain their? Sure, she had special abilities, but... She was a human, they couldn't just fight her like a wild Pokemon and then try to capture her! The thought of Rain losing her humanity to become a full Pokemon, made him cringe before a sudden surge of anger ripped through him. He would tear everyone of these assholes apart in the process of saving her if he had to! His lips pulled back in a snarl of frustration -- it wasn't a human reaction, more of a canine-like one. Maybe he had spent too much time with his Mightyena as a child... In any case, it didn't matter. He was angry. And when Ryuu was angry, deaths tended to occur.

**"Give me those keys," **Ryuu said in a low whisper -- his words were warning and cold, yet restrained so as not to give the idiot the amusement he craved. The jailer's chin rose slightly, a haughty smirk defining his thick lips. _'Fool.' _The word entered his mind and the man gave a hiss of venemous anger, his right hand reaching in his vest to dig around for his pocket knife. A moment later, the weapon was unsheathed and his long arms slipped through the cell's metal bars -- Ryuu was strong, but it was clear that he was built more for agility than power. His hands moved with certainty, confidence -- then, a sharp _click_ could be heard and Ryuu slid his arms out of the bars and pushed aside the cell door. He strode towards the grunt, dark eyes smoldering behind his emerald hair. **"Is she fighting right now?" **Ryuu growled hastily, right hand clutching the navy shirt of the once high-and-mighty grunt. The pathetic excuse for a human being gave a frightened nod, eyes wide -- before Ryuu tossed him against the wall like he was a dart or something. And then, Ryuu was off, briskly exiting the jail area to find the colosseum -- not even bothering to try and be incognito, because anyone who crossed his path was sure to die if they tried to stop him.

* * *

She was there; he could see her, standing defiantly in the middle of the ring. The Zangoose wildly slashed around, claws glowing a poisonous purple. When one of the Crawdaunt or Sharpedo would launch an attack at her, she would shrink and dart out of the circle of surrounding opponents. And he was helpless, up so high, standing on a balcany without any Pokemon -- well, he looked like some god of wrath at least, looking down on the Water types with scorn. But for the time being, he was merely a right now scultpure -- harmless. He was motionless, face stiff and eyes wide with anxiety. And then the statue seemed to break. 

Rain was flung backwards by a series of Swifts, her small body -- had it always looked so frail? -- being pushed a good foot into the concrete wall surrounding the arena. There was a sickening crunching as one used Vicegrip on her left arm and that had shredded his last bit of composure. There was a scream of agonized fury then a dull thud...


	6. Chapter 5: Retrieval

The thud, the scream... Both male. He sounded as if he were being tortured with knives cutting deep into the thin flesh that coated his body... But, no, it was much more worse than that. Ryuu had thought about it multiple times before and had ultimately come to this conclusion: Rain's life was more precious than any other creature's on this planet, even his own. He could die a thousand deaths just to save her – to make sure she was safe – and Ryuu, as odd as it was to hear about him, would not care. He had always been rather apathetic and if Rain would ever insist that he not worry about her, he had never paid her any mind; it had never been any different before and now, although the swarming grunts had a look of blood lust on their facades, would be no different.

Once the physical pain of jumping from one of the viewing balconies in the stadium down to the smooth ground ten feet below subsided, Ryuu was off. He sped forward, seeming almost like a god in his fluid movements, slipping through the hoard of distracted grunts unnoticed. They, of course, only had their eyes on Rain, who had toppled over face-first into a cloud of dust. How foolish of them. Rain was not a threat (although she liked to think she was); Ryuu (obviously) was. Of course, he was unarmed and unguarded (thanks to the fact that those jackasses had ran off with his Pokemon and his dagger). But, really – he was Ryuu Akiyama, it didn't matter. These people could be immortal and he would still whoop their asses.

Poor fools – they realized that a little too late. Two had fallen (one to a punch to the nose and the other to a breath-taking – quite literally – kick to the stomach) and then they finally noticed what could have been the living embodiment of the sin of Wrath. A few sent their Pokemon at him, commanding them to shoot Water Guns and Bubblebeams at him. He scoffed at their idiocy, because although the attacks delayed him and hurt him slightly, they barely effected him. Seriously — bubbles? What were these people on?

In any case, he had soon arrived at his destination. Slowly, he knelt down, only dimly aware of the shouts of fury behind him. Gingerly, he stoked her pale cheek — staring at her bloody form in silent dismay. It was nearly a second before the girl stirred and then rolled over, crouching down defensively. A second more and a bolt of lightning struck down on an enemy behind him. Ryuu's brows furrowed at being caught off guard, but he spun around, spotting Rain stand with a sour expression on her face.

"You saved my butt there… What a bad boyfriend I am." He almost said fiance, wanting to remember the happy days he had spent pondering how to ask her. Of course, his plans had been ruined by Aqua's little interruption; Ryuu had also never gotten an answer from Rain. "But let's go — they're probably hiding my Pokemon in some room. Archie and his stupid games." The trainer rolled his eyes. "Anyways, let's go." Rain nodded, darting in front of him to take care of any remaining Aqua members with jets of fire and jolts of electricity. She was probably too caught up in the grunts to notice a mechanical door to the arena sliding open…


End file.
